COMMENTARY

LeBron's load isn't getting any lighter

NEW YORK -- After all that, after LeBron James' big second quarter, after his bigger third quarter, after he was on his way to tying a career playoff high with 49 points, it still wasn't enough.

He still had to do more.

Here, in the final dance steps of a playoff game that finally felt like one for the Heat, LeBron wasn't asked to score the biggest points in the Heat's 102-96 victory in Game 4 against Brooklyn. Chris Bosh would be the cavalry for those.

LeBron had to stop the big points from being scored. Twice, Brooklyn's top scorer, Joe Johnson (Arkansas Razorbacks, Little Rock Central) got the ball with LeBron on him. Twice, Brooklyn cleared out the side for them.

Twice, LeBron stopped him.

"I take as much pride in my defense as my offense," LeBron said. "I believe in one-on-one situations I can stop anyone from scoring. It doesn't happen all the time. Guys make shots. But in that situation he missed one ... He missed two."

Johnson was miffed after, saying LeBron "flopped" on the last one.

"I should've known they wouldn't call it on him, but I had time for the shot," he said.

That's how miffed the Nets were on a night they could've clawed back into the series. Instead, they're down 3-1 in the series because the Heat got the best game possible from the best player in the game.

Old rival Paul Pierce asked to guard LeBron? Fine. LeBron put him on the bench with two fouls in less than seven minutes. Not that it mattered who tried to guard him this night.

LeBron shot over any defender. LeBron drove by whomever. At half, he had 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting. He scored 13 consecutive points for the Heat in the third quarter.

He did whatever he wanted offensively. He was in full Cleveland mode, pulling the ball out, going solo at times, daring any Net to guard him. When they didn't, he often seemed to skip after scoring a basket, as if adding some more fun to his moments.

Late in the third quarter, LeBron intercepted a pass near midcourt and had an open lane to the basket for what even Brooklyn fans must have wanted for their price of admission. But Alan Anderson grabbed him from behind.

It worked out for the Heat, as LeBron made two free throws on the clear-path foul call, then couldn't score on a Norris Cole jump shot.

On one fourth-quarter possession, James Jones had an open three-point shot. He missed. Allen grabbed the rebound and put up another wide-open three-point attempt. He missed, too.

These were the Heat's hired guns, their sharpest shooters, and they couldn't connect on their specialty. Then the Nets went down and scored again to go up, 82-79.

Tied at 92, LeBron drove the lane, was double-teamed and kicked it out to Mario Chalmers, who passed it to an open Bosh in the corner. His three-pointer made it 97-94.

In the final seconds, LeBron added a free throw to tie his career high of 49 scored while with Cleveland. But he also missed a second free throw that would've made a career high.

"That's the first time I've been disappointed in myself in a win, " he said. "It doesn't take away the fact it's a huge win for us."

Sports on 05/14/2014

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